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Police will defend their duplication of software

Anna Patty

Police will defend a $10 million lawsuit taken out by Micro Focus, which claims the force pirated its technology. Photo: Nick Moir

THE Ombudsman will refer the NSW Police Force to the state corruption watchdog if a court upholds allegations that it pirated software used to run its intelligence database.

The Liberal MP Catherine Cusack, who chairs a parliamentary committee that oversees the Ombudsman's office, raised concerns about the piracy complaint yesterday.

The software company Micro Focus is seeking about $10 million in damages from the force, claiming it has stolen up to 10,000 computer software licences.

The Ombudsman, the Department of Corrective Services and the Police Integrity Commission have each reached an undisclosed out-of-court settlement with the company.

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The NSW Ombudsman, Bruce Barbour, told the parliamentary committee yesterday that his office used 25 software licences on the understanding that police had paid for them. His office had entered into a confidential settlement with Micro Focus and could not reveal any of its details, Mr Barbour said.

He said police had maintained they had not pirated the software, but if the allegations against them were proven in court later this year, he may need to refer the complaint to the Independent Commission Against Corruption or, alternatively, the auditor-general ''in terms of any contractual arrangements that have been breached''.

The police force has said it will defend its duplication of licences for the software, ViewNow, which is used to run the intelligence database known as COPS.

Bruce Craig, the Australasian managing director of Micro Focus, said a contract between Micro Focus and police entitled police to 6500 licences for the ViewNow software between 1998 to 2003. But 18 months ago, Micro Focus found the police had rolled out about 16,000 licences.

A police spokesman said police paid for a site licence that entitled it to unlimited installations for the use of all its officers.